The Humble Stick

One of Lily’s favorite pastimes is collecting sticks. When she was younger, it took us forever to walk down the block to the park because she was picking up every stick she saw. She insisted we take her collection home, even though we have a lot of trees and plenty of sticks in our own yard. Her love of sticks has evolved over time, and now she’s a whacker. She whacks trees with sticks, fences, rocks, and toys. I have been whacked as well, although not intentionally! The longer the stick to whack with, the better.

So I was not surprised when I read that a new toy has been inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame: the stick. What a perfect addition to the list! I love that a toy with no cost whatsoever is in the Hall of Fame. Who hasn’t played with a stick? When I was little, I love to peel the bark off of sticks to reveal the smooth wood underneath.

Sticks are also very handy for making things. During a day camp at Living History Farms, my sister and I carded wool and spun it into yarn. We then found sticks with forks in them, and made a small loom to weave yarn into cloth. I still have that scrap of cloth. We used manufactured yarn to supplement our wool yarn, which is a creamy off-white.

The toy list in the Hall of Fame also includes a cardboard box. I have a suggestion as well: the laundry basket!